


The Things He Wanted to Say

by shibopanda



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2019-01-17
Packaged: 2019-07-05 02:28:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 1,516
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15854355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shibopanda/pseuds/shibopanda
Summary: Though overall, Link preferred listening to others instead of speaking himself, there were times where things needed to be said. During those times, however, he would have to decide whether to answer as the teenage boy he was, or the hero he was supposed to be.





	1. To His Best Friend on a Special Morning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "And look at these clothes! I made this wrap myself, and we get to use it in today's ceremony! Between the harp and this outfit, I'm going to make a great goddess today! I got you up this morning because I wanted you to be the first one to see me like this, Link! So, how do I look?"

Hah. Of course she’d wake him for something as silly as this, not that it bothered him. It was clear how much she cared for him, not only by making sure he didn’t sleep in, but also by wanting him of all people to see her first. The way her dress flowed as she twirled, the way her golden locks settled to frame her face as she faced him, the way her bright eyes and contagious smile could warm his heart enough to dispel even _his_ seemingly ever-constant drowsiness-- what had he ever done to deserve such an amazing best friend?

… Uh… wait. She asked him something right? .. Oh! How does she look, how does she look…

He _could_ tease her as revenge for the wake up call from her loftwing instead of herself... _“Nice… Costume,”_ he could joke. “ _But uh, doesn’t really look anything like this huge statue of the goddess you’re_ supposed _to be playing. Did I miss another memo?”_

… Nah. That’s way too rude. Especially when she’s so excited to see what he thinks. He could never risk upsetting her on a day like today. Instead, he returns her grin with a soft smile of his own.

“You look great, Zel!”


	2. To His Bully

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You're here to talk about today's race. I can see it in those dopey eyes of yours. They're pleading "oh Groose! Could you please find it in your heart to let me win today? Please!" You're just desperate to win so you can get some alone time with Zelda up on the statue of the goddess at the end of the ceremony. Well sorry, pal, Groose doesn’t do charity for wimps. My advice? Work hard and wish with all your heart. You might even come in second. ...Say come to think of it? How come I don't see your bird? Where is that scruffy pile of feathers? I can't imagine what could've happened to him. Do you think his tiny brain got confused by all the clouds and got lost?

He couldn’t believe this. It was a new low, even for Groose.

As a child, Link always put up with the harassment. He did not know why he was so frequently the target of his bully’s abuse, and would not come to understand until nearly a decade later, but he accepted the fact, and often found himself on the run from it. As his friendship with Zelda blossomed, he built the confidence to return the redhead’s blows-- usually in a sneakier way than Groose’s approach. He used his wits to pull pranks, or set Groose up for self-embarrassment, and because he was rarely if ever caught or punished for his transgressions, Groose’s resentment burned hotter and hotter, bitter that such a skinny, weak, snarky little shit could beat him at every game he played, and unjustly win the favor of everyone on this damn island. 

But did any of that justify stealing and harming Link’s  _ loftwing!? _

For heaven's’ sake-- loftwings were sacred gifts from the goddess, and for Link, his loftwing was the closest family he’d had since his father’s passing. He’d done nothing to warent the insults and treatment Groose delivered, even if Link had, and for that, Link was furious.

He could throw an insult back.  _ “Nice hair.”   _ It seemed to him that he’d preened it up especially carefully today-- likely to impress a certain crush of his. Though truthfully, in style it was nothing new, and what good would such a petty insult bring him?

But he still demanded justice for his other half who Hylia blessed him with.  _ “Bring it on,”   _ he wanted to say. But… what would Zelda say if she saw him impulsively picking fights? He needed to calm down. Today was an important day in his journey to knighthood, and it would not do him good to go into it riled up, or worse yet, without his bird safely by his side. A knight can’t fuel his actions with unbridled rage. A knight must be strong in heart and mind to do what is needed to protect the ones who need his help, and right now, his loftwing needed him.

“Give him back!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey does anyone want a Groose fic bc idk if you can tell but I really had to suppress my need to explain Groose's thoughts when this is supposed to be about Link's. I love him,,,,


	3. To His Best Friend Before the Race

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Did you hear that guy? A fair race? Yeah, the chances of that happening are just about less than zero. Either way, don't let those fools get you down, Link. Just get out there and fly the best you can! I know you've got these guys beat, and deep down I think you know too.

He’d been numbed to the lashes of Groose’s sharp tongue, in part, because Zelda (and Pipit, and Fledge) always insisted his words were filled only of jealous spite, and held no meaning, but also because those words were bound to etch themselves into his heart at one point or another. Those scars, though hard to ignore, were only a dull ache compared to the fierce sting his younger self had suffered. The sensitive soul and crybaby tendencies he had in youth had calloused over after years of verbal assaults and occasional physical altercations, but a callous is a permanent reminder of the hardships inflicted upon him.

For sure, Groose was jealous. Bitter that he, in spite of all his physical bulk and carefully preened appearance, consistently lost in every field to an unfocused, underweight, scruffy excuse of a boy. With that being said, were any of his criticisms wrong?

_ You float through life with your head in the clouds. Would you wake up, straighten up, and grow a backbone already? Dopes like you are dragging our honored academy through the mud. _

_ You’re almost a man, and yet you can’t seem to get anywhere without Zelda. I bet you can’t even decide to have for lunch on your own, huh? _

What could he say, really? Though less of a pushover than he was in years past, he was still very much so a day dreamer, drifting through most days as aimlessly as the clouds surrounding their home. That wasn’t to say he had no ambition at all-- absolutely not! He desperately wanted to be a knight, just as his father was before him. He wanted to protect his home, and protect her grace Hylia’s people, though admittedly, he did not practice as hard as, say, Groose did. It didn’t seem like he  _ needed _ to, so he’d rather spend his days with a nose in a book, out on a flight, or following around his best friend. Speaking of, Groose was also right about that. Link was never the most confident boy, so he grew up always following the headmaster’s ever-energetic and adventurous daughter. She treated him kindly, after all, adored doting over him, and seemed a natural at always knowing what the two of them should do, so he never grew out of his dependency on her, never really needing to.

Groose’s words no longer stung, but years of hurling them at him left its mark on his self esteem. He was weak. He was undeserving. He had his doubts on his ability to win.

_“I dunno,”_ he wanted to say, but he couldn’t. This was, after all, a big day for her as well, and he didn’t want her wasting energy worrying over him-- after all, that would just prove Groose’s point, wouldn’t it?

So maybe instead, he could crack a joke. _“Us? Alone?”_ he could have asked, mocking the red-head’s own flustered expression, but again, he had no reason to stress her out by reminding her who she may possibly have to perform a sacred ritual alongside. If anything, it was more motivation to give it his all, even if only to save her from that awful situation.

The rather comical thought brought a smile to his face, and he remembered who exactly he was competing with. They may not fight fair, but they’ve never beaten him at anything before. All his doubts were washed away, and all thanks to her-- to Zelda-- and in spite of all the self deprecating thoughts that swirled through his mind, including the slight shame that she had yet again saved him, she was still a reason he could remain confident. She was right. She knew he had them beat, and deep down, he knew too. With a nod and a soft chuckle, he answered.

“Yeah!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ishddajfbak IM SORRY!! This past semester was literal hell to the point where I needed half a month afrer it ended to even begin to recover enough to continue this aaaAA
> 
> Anyway, I hope nobody minds me slipping these non-canon headcanons in here gghgg


	4. To His Best Friend During the Ritual

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Now we really should finish up this ritual... You... Do know what happens at the end, right..?

He was still in a bit of a daze, his emotions bubbling within him a mix of disbelief and elation. He won.. He won..! He really won! However, he was knocked back to his senses when Zelda requested the statue he claimed only minutes earlier, and only then did he remember that it was not quite settled yet. As Zelda strummed the beautiful harp she’d been provided with, he reminded himself of the steps he needed to take after she finished. His job was not as hard as hers, really. No fingerings or incantations to remember, but his giddiness made him second guess his ability to remember the simple steps of taking a knee, offering his hand, looking down, and not getting back up until Zelda finished.

And when she did, she asked if he knew what came last.

_“Nope,”_   he could have said, though that would be a lie. While the exact specifics of what happened after the main part of the ritual were largely unknown to him, he did read up on the ritual as much as he could. While he had his doubts that he’d actually be the one to stand with Zelda on this day, especially given that his three competitors were all plotting against him, he was still interested merely out of his own curiosity. 

On the other hand, because he spent most of his energy committing the procedure of the first part to memory, in an effort to avoid embarrassment should he have no clue at all, he couldn’t really say he was  _ dreading _ what was to come either. After all, this was what he worked for! He couldn’t just give up at the last step of his path to becoming a senior as pipit had the year before..! As excited as he was, though, Zelda’s question still demanded an answer, and so he gave the most honest one he could.

“Sort of…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one's kinda a throwaway chapter but the last three should be much more significant! That being said, hopefully it wont take me 4 more months.

**Author's Note:**

> A short series of little somethings to help get me back into the flow of writing after not for two years. I want to start off easy by going through Link's thought process during the parts of major cutscenes when you can choose the little things he says, even though it doesn't matter much in the long run. I like to believe all are things he absolutely thought, but I'll just show what I personally think he would have said and why. Feedback is appreciated :-)


End file.
